Storylines

It happened to me yesterday afternoon while I was busy outlining another storyline, completely shifting my chain of thought.

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Ask the average writer where their ideas come from and you will get dozens of totally different answers. Some find an idea from something they read in a newspaper or magazine. Others will tell you the idea came to them in the early hours of the morning while asleep.

In own my case; it can happen at any time. I can be working on one particular storyline, when a word or a scenario totally unrelated to the story I’m currently working on springs to mind.

I’m often inspired by something someone has said in conversation, or a comment made in an interview, either in a magazine or newspaper or one I’ve been listening to on the television or radio.

Sometimes I’ve come across an idea when reading someone else’s story, in this particular case it could be a geographical location mentioned, or a character type.

Even while writing blog posts like this, an idea may spring to mind. In short, if you allow your imagination free reign, the sky’s the limit when it comes to ideas for that next story.

On any given day my mind acts like a sponge, soaking up what would seem to be totally trivial things to most other people. But, out of the trivia comes the next idea.

One thing we all do if we are serious about writing is to immediately make a written note of that brief notion before we dismiss it into the farthest reaches of our minds under the heading ‘Completely forgotten’.

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Jack Eason lived in New Zealand for forty-two years until 2000 when he returned to his birthplace in England. As far as he is concerned he will always consider himself to be a Kiwi. After military service in the 1960's, he travelled the world, visiting exotic lands and making many friends. Now in his mid-sixties he is content to write and travel via the Internet.

Besides writing novels and short stories, he contributes to his own blog “Have We Had Help?” Some of his short stories and numerous articles appear in the No: 1 online E-zine “Angie’s DIARY”. His literary interests include science fiction, history, both ancient and modern, and humorous tales like those written by his fellow writer Derek Haines, such as “HAL”. Now retired, he lives in his home town surrounded by his favourite books, ranging from historical fact to science fiction. His literary icons are J.R.R Tolkien, George Orwell, Arthur C Clarke and John Wyndham.